Welcome

The PacificUS Forum is a blog project by Genevieve Neilson to bring attention to security, economic, and political issues in the Pacific. And sometimes to share adventures.

Geography
Using the terms ‘Pacific’ or ‘Indo-Pacific’ designates a focus on maritime space in the Asia-Pacific region. With small island states seeking to be called large ocean states, this recognises the importance of the blue economy, and ocean conservation. Indo-Pacific is also more commonly used in discourses of the United States and Australia, both major powers and locations where the editor is based. The region holds many sites of geopolitical and economic struggle, including a growing consumer class in Asia, island states at the forefront of impacts from climate change, security flashpoints on the Korean peninsula, and crises in refugee resettlement.

In my first article for the Lowy Interpreter, I offered a different perspective on the historic meeting between the presidents of the Republic of Palau (Tommy Remengesau), Republic of the Marshall Islands (Hilda Heine), the Federated States of Micronesia (David Panuelo), and the United States (Donald Trump). While the Trump Administration can take credit for … Continue reading Presidents of the Freely Associated States Meet at the White House

As opposition leader in 1971, Gough Whitlam made a risky move to visit Peking (just a few days before Henry Kissinger), and once he subsequently became Prime Minister made Australia an early partner with China. In contrast, under the leadership of Prime Minister Robert Menzies, former External Affairs Minister Paul Hasluck used to repeat the … Continue reading Lunar New Year Yum Cha: 2018 Leftovers for Australia

On 1 October, 2018, Palau celebrates its 24th Independence Day, with a welcome birthday gift of $87.3 million from the United States Department of Interior. The $87.3 million represents a down payment of a larger economic assistance package of $123.9 million that was appropriated in the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act and the 2018 … Continue reading Explainer: Why did the U.S. just give $87.3 million to Palau?